LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!

This morning I really did not want to write a post! I was tired and it was dark and my bed just felt so wonderful and cozy. After a little debate in my head, I dragged myself out of bed and came down to my quiet study and here I sit… asking God to fill me with His Holy Spirit so He would be glorified on this page and on my blog.

I think blogging is the best job in the world! For me, it’s mostly a joy (even on very early mornings when my bed feels too good to leave). I’m not saying there aren’t frustrations and glitches and long long days, but blogging is in my wheelhouse… my sweet spot. Blogging uses many talents that come easy to me and I enjoy it immensely! It seems blogging is almost natural and second nature.

I’m often asked (even by my mother), “how do you do it”! Where do you get your creativity? And my first answer is “GOD”! Really!

Ephesians 2:10 says

FOR WE ARE GOD’S WORKMANSHIP CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS TO DO GOOD WORKS WHICH GOD PREPARED IN ADVANCE FOR US TO DO.

It is God that has gifted all of us with our talents, and aptitudes, and skills and everything we are good at!

When I was young, I took piano lessons… for five very l-o-n-g years! It was a painful experience. Although I can read music and play a little I am a nervous wreck when I sit down to a piano! It’s more of a chore than a pleasure for me and for everyone that hears me play! For years, I would start practicing Christmas carols in September just so I could pick out a few tunes on Christmas morning! As much as I tried and wished and practiced and studied… the piano was not a natural fit for me! The same with singing! Oh my goodness! Let’s just say that when God was giving out musical talent I wasn’t in that line!

But I did show up early to stand in line for other gifts! We all did! There are gifts that we ALL have. God, in His great wisdom, has created us to excel at something… many things! Some of us are brilliant or creative or merciful or helpful or puzzle solvers or diplomatic or artistic and so much more!

There are things that you and I could not or would not do that others thrive doing! And that did not happen by chance.

Think about the wonderful things you are good at… where did it come from? Our families? Well, our families can nurture our gifts for sure. But God is the giver of our gifts and talents.

And here’s the amazing thing… God knew you and planned for your and thought you out and gifted you before you were ever born! Ephesians 2:10 says that YOU are his workmanship! The Greek word is PIOEMA (poy’-ay-mah). It means a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. YOU are a masterpiece. It carries the idea of YOU being God’s poem to the world. Can you hear the word poem in PIOEMA? God gave you your talents and all that is you so that you would thrive in them and when people asked you why you are so good at something, you could say… GOD! He gave you gifts, not to squander on self-seeking pleasures or to tarnish with sin, but to magnify or show Him to the world!

I stopped my blog a few years back. It was like a death and I never thought I would blog again. I felt so strongly that God was not happy with the way I was using my gifts and the way I cared more about my blog than for HIM! And He was right… He is always right! So, in an act of obedience I put my blog away. It was a dreadful time… but a much needed time.

It was during that time that God spoke into my life through His word that HE was and is and will always be first. And I, shamefully, was not putting Him, the giver of my gifts, first!

As you can see God did restore my blog and I am so grateful… and mindful of how I use my gifts!

It really is all about God.

How are you using the talents and natural gifts God has given you? Can you imagine if we all used them to be the best at what we do… not for ourselves but to glorify God? When we use our gifts to show God to the world it’s a win win experience. We are doing what we are good at and what comes natural and what we are made to do! And we are using them so others can see our great Creator’s work… masterpiece!

Let your talents shine doing the good works God has given you long before you were born. And in doing so glorify God!

This week’s memorization verse:

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE SO BEFORE MEN, THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. Matthew 5:16.

That was such a awesome word, I know one of my talents is creativeity, but since if finished school itt like the last quarter drained all my desiers to create, then I was so stressed that at Christmas I came down with shingles’s which are starting to go away. Would keep me in prayer, please.

I can sense your heart in your blog and it blesses me every time you truly are a proverbs 31 woman. We are the heart of our homes and we need encouragement from this crazy world we live in now. Your blog is extremely encouraging to me. It reminds me daily that all is not bad in this world , that there are true believers in this country even though sometimes we as christians get to feeling like we have become out numbered and that all that is righteous is just not believed or considered any longer , you write a blog such as this to remind us that that is not so. Wow what a blessing. Thank you

As I get older I understand my gifts. Sometimes you may feel that your gifts don’t amount to much. Now I understand my gift to my family and friends.
The power of God is so strong! The love of God is even stronger!
God Bless and thank you for sharing your gift with us! 🙏

Praise God you got up and did not recycle an old post as I got encouragement from this post. I’m entering a very very new door to a new path. It’s so quiet. It’s so isolated. Doors of past ministries are closing. I’ve known it for a year. It’s been years since I’ve felt a part of anything –yes a TBI does that. I was sad. But there’s now a reason for that. I’m older now. God gave me Ps 16:11 at age 13. He will keep showing me the path of life. I receive cheerful decorating advice and tips. And godly encouragement. I thoroughly enjoyed the comparison Trap you invited us to join. I shall not hide my love for Christ. I will shine. I will pray that I will be a good and faithful servant for my Savior. Thank you for being a part of encouragement.

Yvonne, thank you so much for your very timely blog this morning. Near the end of February, I lost my sister-in-law; two weeks
later, our 16 year old cat, who was like a member of our family. May 5, my last living uncle passed away, and May 21, my sister
passed away. I have felt such grief, and have felt at a loss myself. I love the Lord with all my heart and have a wonderful relationship
with Him. He has blessed me with many talents also, but my grief had brought me to a standstill. This morning, I was not even
planning to go to church, but I did check my email, and there I found your wonderful blog. I’m so glad you got out of bed and
allowed the Holy Spirit to write through you, because He knew it was just what I would need today!
I got ready, went to church, and invited a lady there to come to my house just to get together to knit and fellowship. I
have other talents I can use, too, and plan to use them for His glory.
I cannot not thank you enough for being obedient this morning! Your sister in Virginia needed this sooooo much!
Blessings,
Marilyn

Dear Marilyn,
I do not know you but for some reason I saw your post. I once was told that God understands grief. He understands our need to heal. It is such a fresh grief for you. My heart aches. The loss of my sister is one of life’s deepest sorrows. May the Lord bless you and keep you. Hugs from a Sister in Christ.

Dear Gwen,
Thank you so much for your kind words! It is such a comfort to have other members of the Body of Christ come
along side of you when you need comfort and support. We are all on this journey Home together, and even though
we may not know each other here, one day we will meet, and know as we are known. God bless you!
Love from your sister in Christ,
Marilyn

Dear sweet Marilyn! God bless you! I am so so sorry for your losses. It seems almost more than a person could bear! I thank God for your strong faith and love for Him! And I am thrilled you went to church! You are in my prayers tonight! Hugs to you!

Dear Yvonne,
Thank you so much for your prayers! I awoke this morning feeling revived. Ps.50:23 says, “Whoso offereth praise
glorifieth Me.” And Ps. 22:3 says, “The Lord inhabits the praise of His people.” Even though it is raining here, I
went out to sit on our covered deck. Sitting there surrounded by pots of flowers, I remembered that Romans 1:20
says that the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things
that are made. I just sat and looked at my flowers–their delicate petals and beautiful colors, and thought about
our God who made such beauty for us because He loves us so much. What a wonderful Father! I just sat there
thanking Him for all those things, and we had such a good time together. He gave me new direction and suggestions
which will require several of the talents “in my bag!” Yvonne, I love that paragraph you wrote, beginning with,
“Today I’m going to challenge you (and me)…and ending with, Dig into your bags and rejoice in the abundance of
what’s in them.” I wrote that down and read it aloud several times before I cut out my light last night. He has filled
my bags with a lot of talents, and I want to put them back into
use, and never let them lie dormant again. Thanks, again!

I just got home from visiting my son and daughter in law. They asked if I still had plans to recover their outdoor cushions, and I realized they need them by July 4th. Oops! I had been putting this off for a while, and told them of course, I would get on it right away. In my mind, I wondered how I was going to get this done. Got home, read your blog, and I thank you. I really needed to hear that I need to be using the talents that I have received, and do it with a happy heart. Every once in a while we get a message from someone or something that really puts it the right place of our mind. I thank you.

Good testimony! You are right – we need to acknowledge that our gifts are from God. Your site is beautiful – just found you today. I also write extensively on my site and have taken to sharing a Psalm every Sunday, just as a “hey, I’m not my own – I am bought with a price” reminder.

Thank you! I always wait for your Sunday blog and most of the time it ties right in with the Sunday sermon at church that morning. I have a quick “forgetter” and need to be reminded how I have been blessed with special gifts is needed! I minimize what I am gifted with and don’t think it’s important or makes a difference but it does….and I know my God is using me and my gifts to serve others. HE is the only one to be worshipped!

Hi, Yvonne,
I was glad I opened your newsletter today. 🙂 Thanks so much for your inspiring message.
I, too, am always asked how I do all that I do, and that I’m so talented, etc. I always shoo away the compliments and give them credit for being so sweet, but now I’m going to bear my testimony that I magnify my talents through the gift of God. They come from Him, our Father in Heaven, Who loves us and wants us to be the best we can be.
I’m glad I found your blog, through Judi and Sally. I hope we can meet up in October.
Have a wonderful, peaceful Sabbath Day. It’s sunny and beautiful and HOT here in Utah today.

So happy to see you here today Susan! Yes, I remember just how talented you are!!! And you have such a beautiful voice!!!!!! I’m planning to be at the reunion in October and I’d like to have our elementary class here at StoneGable for a get together!

Thank you for your refreshing honesty! We all struggle at times and currently I am struggling with some family matters. BUT – I know God Knows our hearts and our entire circumstances. “Be still and know that I am God” has been the verse I am reflecting on during this season of trials.

Heard this message in adult SS this AM, as well. Thank you for confirming God’s word. Not a coincidence. And this is one reason yours is my favorite blog. You can imagine my joy upon finding you through a tables cape, only to discover that you are a sister in the Lord.

Thank you for sharing this today! I have really been feeling in limbo about my blog and whether or not I am doing the right thing. The sermon at church this morning was also about what do we Really want to do, and is it God’s plan for us. His plan is always the best Thanks for reinforcing the idea. Please pray for me as I continue on, until I know for sure what is the right thing to do. I love your blog and all your decorating ideas too!

So thankful to God that He gives us everything. I had a friend ask me one time….she said I just done understand that some people ask God for everything….she thought that wasn’t right. I said….I ask Him for everything, no matter how small or how large. He is my Heanenly father, why wouldn’t I ? He wants us to ask Him and He wants to give it to us before we even ask and He wants to give it to us even more than we want it. He is wonderful. He is my everything.

Yvonne, this post was a perfect timing for me, thank you so much. I had to take a break from blogging off and on the last several years due to family and switching of teaching positions. But as you so clearly pointed out “Let your shine before men….” is exactly what I’ve been hearing from others lately about my knowledge and blog. Thank you for your perfect wisdom today, I will take heed. By the way I love your podcast. I’ve been listening and relistening daily- it’s my daily “vitamin”!

Thank you Yvonne for such an uplifting blog this morning. I’m glad for you that the good Lord bestowed upon you the ability to convey your talents through your blog. My grandmother always told me as a little girl, your journey in life is like no other. Your talents are unique to you. Your gifts can make a difference in ways others can not and the good Lord bestowed those gifts to you and you alone. Use those gifts wisely. Have a wonderful Sunday and again thanks for letting your light shine😇😇😇

I also have to say your blog this morning was right on point. God doe speak to us and use us in different ways. HIS gifts and the talents HE endowed upon me are truly rich indeed. Without HIM I would be nothing.

A good early morning to you Yvonne,
I’ve recently been viewing your blog from Redmond WA. Our little corner of the world, we feel is God’s country……..so beautiful here. Your early morning blog was a particular blessing to me today. I work as a mentor to young mother’s and often have the privilege to sharing the truth of God’s word with them. I will use your blog of today as I speak to them this fall at one of our MOPS meetings (mother’s of preschoolers). May God richly bless you as you minister to many through your fabulous blog.
Carolyn

Thank you for this morning message . I appreciate everything God does for me, especially sending me to your
message this morning, I needed it badly.. he knows doesn’t he what we need, that special lift .
Blessings to you .

Welcome to my blog and my life!

I’m an empty nester living with my wonderful husband Bobby at StoneGable. Our home often feels like a hotel, filled with family and friends. I love all things HOME AND GARDEN! Living by grace, I strive to live large and love all those who cross my path.